Needle guard for sewing machines



March 3, 1931. LAVOIE 1,794,779

NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES v Filed Oct. 8, 1928 I J drr' Patented Mar. 3, .1931

. N F F :I CJ E .AI-TGFSTUS' IE T MASSACHUSETTS A i if JtJpL s GUARD For. sEw NE v.

Application filed October 8,1928. SeriaI No. 311,051.

This invention relatesto-powersewing-machines and particularly to machines for sewing buttons on fabric orother material; Such machines are commonly operated: by me- 6 chanical or electric povveryand the needle is driven with such force that serious in-j jury maybe caused if the operators thumb or fingers is pierced by theneedle. 1

It is the object of my invention to provide a needle guardzfor such machines so constructed that the operator iseifectively protected hile the machine is stitching. I

A further object is to-provide -means by which the guard will be removedfrom op erative position When-the machine is stopped 1 and the holder is raised to release the attached button and to receive a newbutton in 7 place thereof. 1 My invention further relates to arrange- "ments and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and'more particularlylpointed out in the appended claims.

preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which I Fig. 1 is a plan vievvof portions of a-sewing machine having my improved guard mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1

W I Fig. 3 is-a partial front elevation, similar to Fig. 2', but showing'the parts in a different position; I T f Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevation-,taken along the line 44 in Fig.1; and

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation, looking in the direction of'the arrow 5-infFi'g. 1.

Referring to'the drawings, I have shown my improved needle guard mounted :on a sewing machine having 'a top "surface or table 10 on'which a fabric F is supported in position to receive buttons B' to be stitched thereon.

Each button B is positioned "by a .button holder 15*forming the front end portion of an arm 16 mountedon a fixed pivot and movable upward by a link'17 (Fig. v5 connected to actuating mechanism- (not shown) A spring 18 normally retains the button holder 15in lowered or button-holding position, and the holder is raised by the operator after ward.

each button is attached, to permit the dis placement thereof and the insertion of a new" button inthe holder. Y I A needle 20 (Fig. 2) is mounted in the usual reciprocating needle bar 21 and reciprocates vertically during the stitchingop: eration. The parts thus far described are of the usual construction and in themselves formno part of my present invention. l

*My improved needle guard comprises a stand 30 (Figs. 1 and 2) adjustably secured to the table 10, by a clamping screw 31.

needle guard32 is pivoted on a stud33' fixed in the stand-30.

' The guard 32s made two pieces, as clearly shown mFig. 1, these. two pieces having a slotted connection a'ndbeing secureditoi- I.

gether clamping screws .34. By loosen mg the screws 34, the guard may headjus't'ed forward or rearward as desired. The outer 9 end of the guard is curved in plansection, as indicated in Fig. 1, to partially surround the needle' 20 and button B. ;A flange or ledge36 projects rearward from the upper edge of the guard 32', this flange protecting the operator from flying fragjmentsjof broken needles. A stop screw 38 (Fig. 2) is adjustably clampedto the stand '30ra'nd limits downward swinging movement oftheguard32. f p

(An actuating lever 4 0 is also pivoted (on the stud 33; previously described, said lever be-- ing made in two parts as indicated in'Fig. 4, which parts are relatively adjustable verti- Cally and which may be secured together by .85 clamping screws 41. The outer end .of the lever 40 overlies the button holder arm 16, as indicated in Fig. 5. A tension spring 42 acts to draw {the lever 40 yieldingly-down- At its left hand end,the lever 40is provided with a stud 44. (Fig. 1) "extending freely through a slot 45 (Fig. 2) inthe l'eft hand end of an intermediate 'lever 50. The lever 50 is pivoted at 51 on an eXtensi-on52 of the stand 30 and'the right hand end of'the lever 50 is connected by 'alink 54to a stud 55in the needle guard 32. I .1 The spring 42 acts through the. lever 40,

theintermediate vleverbO, and the link 54 to 09 lied on to move the button holder as well as V the needle guard to lowered or operative position.'

Having described the details of construction of my improved guard, the use and advantages thereof will be readily. apparent.

1 cated in Figsl and :2, with the guard 32 in lowered position and-in frontof the needle 20, effectively preventing injury to the operator. I

After a button has been attached, the

operator raises the button holder 15 and arm 16, commonlyby the use of a foot pedal. As the arm 16 is movedupward, it engages the lever 4 0, moving the same in the direction of the arrow a inFig. 2. Such movement depressesthe studel, as. indicated by the arrow I) in Fig. 4, swingingthe intermediate lever 50 on its pivot 51 and moving the end of the link 54 upward, as indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 2. This causes theguard 82 to be swung about its pivot 33 in the direction of the arrow 03 in Fig. 2,.the parts being moved" from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3.: In'the lattervp'osition, the guard 32 is substantially raised and does not interfere with the insertion of anew button in the holder 15. As the buttonholder is allowed to descend on the fabric F,the guard automatically resumes its operative position. The needle guard is thus automatically removed from operative position by'the raising of the button holder and is automatically restored by the return of the button holder to loweredor operative position. All parts of my improved needle guard areof simple but substantial construction and are easlly ,manufactured by punch or pressoperations.

My invention has been found reliable and extremely efiective when in use. 7 V r Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what Iclaimisz j V 1; In a sewing machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, and a needle guard movable relative to said button holder by said button holder I toward and from operativeposition. f

2. In a sewing machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, a: needle guard, yielding means to move said guard tooperative position, and connections between said button holder and said needle guard by. which said guard is positively moved relative to said button holder and from operative position when said button holder is moved from holding position.

' 3 In a sewing machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, a needle guard, yielding means to move said guard tooperative position, and connections between said button holder and said needle guard by which said guard is positively movedfrom operative position when sa1d' button holden is moved from holding position, the movement of said guard being many times greaterthan the movement of r h e The normalpositlon of the parts'ls as indl in j sewing "machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, .a needlenguard yielding means to move said guardto operative position,- and multlplylng connections between said. holder and guard bywhich said guard is positively moved [from ,operative position when said holder is moved from holding position, the V movement ofsaid guard being at greatlyincreased speed. V f g In a sewingmachine, button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, a needle guard mounted to swing about a fixed pivot,;and a. lever mounted ona fixed pivot and having. operating connections to said guard, a portion of said lever being directly engaged and. moved by said button holder as said holder is moved away from operative position.

v 6. The combination in a sewing machine as set forthin claim 5, in which the lever is made in two parts relatively adjustable to determine the extent of movement of the needle guard. V V

7. The combination in a sewing machine as set forth in claim 5, in which said operating connections include an intermediate pivoted lever having a stud and slot connection to said first named lever and having a link connection to said needle guard. I V

SJ Thecombination in a sewing machine asset forthinclaim 5, in which an adjustable abutment is provided to limit downward movement of said guard. y

9. In a sewing machine,a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position,;and a needle guard movable relative tosaid button holder by said button holder toward and from operative position, said guard having a substantially vertical protecting portion and having a rearwardly extending-flange at its upper edge to intercept fragments of broken needles. 7 r I 10. In a sewing machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, a needle guard, yielding means to move tively large and the movement of said holder relatively small. i

11. In a sewing machine, a button holder movable toward and from button-holding position, yielding means to move said holder to operative position, a needle guard, yielding means to move said guard to operative position, and means connected to move said guard positively from operative position and to move said button holder positively from holding position, and to cause a movement of said guard relative to said button holder and of I greatly increased extent. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

AUGUSTUS Avoi 

